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Friday, December 31, 2010

Chinese New Year 4709, or 2011 in the Western calendar, is the Year of the Metal Rabbit.

The Rabbit represents the fourth year in the 12 year cycle of the Chinese zodiac.

Like the houses of the zodiac in Western astrology, the animals of Chinese astrology are thought by many to dictate personality traits or, in the wider scope of things, even impact world events in any year they rule.

Rabbits, and those born under compatible signs, will likely benefit from luck or good fortune during a Rabbit year — i.e., in 1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, or 2011.

Characteristics of The Rabbit

The three words that best describe the rabbit? Calm and gentle, but persistent.

Quietly charismatic, thoughtful and calm, rabbits are admired for their tactful and considerate dealings with all who know them. As such, they are most often depended upon for their wise counsel, or as someone in which to put valued trust in a personal friendship or a business dealing.

One of the most cautious signs in the Chinese zodiac, they are the chess players who take their sweet time before making a move. Yet, they are also the ones most likely to win any intricate game of strategy!

This most obvious of rabbit personality traits also spills into their romantic dealings, and rabbits will not commit to any one person right away.

Once they are settled down in a domestic relationship, however, no truer or more sweeter spouse is likely to be found.

In dealings with family and friendships, they can always be counted upon for a sympathetic ear or a gentle hand to hold.

Their highly developed natures can also be found in artistic pursuits. They have an impeccable eye for color and line that is evident in their thoughtful fashion sense. The rabbit is usually on anyone's Best Dressed list.

Despite (or because of) their outwardly calm demeanors, rabbits are extremely shrewd In business dealings and may never show their hand until just the right moment. They are also quick to bolt from any perceived danger and intuitively know when to fold - and run!

The year of the Rabbit is traditionally associated with home and family, artistic pursuits, diplomacy, and keeping the peace. Therefore, 2011 is very likely to be a relatively calmer one than 2010 both on the world scene, as well as on a personal level.

Conversely, nations will also become more insular and increasingly lock down their borders to protect against the "other". However, 2011 will also see new art movements projecting a distinct national identity taking the world by storm. Shrewd and creative new business partnerships will also form to the benefit of all.

Rabbits who thrive on delicate business dealings are best suited to navigating the year ahead. Those compatible with the Rabbit — the Sheep, Dog and Pig in particular — will also find 2011's circumstances inspiring them to greater personal happiness and professional success.

Others will suffer, by degree, depending on how flexible they are to the world mood. Those who have cultivated careful negotiation skills (or, perhaps more importantly, can sniff-out and swiftly dodge dangerous situations!), may attain similar good luck enjoyed by rabbits and those compatible with them in 2011.

For more specific information and learn more about what the omens are for your future in the New Year, check out related resources for the Year of the Rabbit and find out what else the animals of fortune predict for you in 2011.

Years1915, 1927, 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999, 2011, 2023

Rabbit personality traitsAlthough generally calm, gentle and loving, Rabbit people can be very ambitious and intuitively know how to get ahead in the world.

They are good listeners, kind and sweet by nature, and are therefore often sought out as popular and trusted friends. Generally noted for their physical beauty, Rabbits like to surround themselves with beautiful things. They have a good eye for art, design and fashion, and are usually at the top of anyone's Best Dressed list.

Others may call the Rabbit timid, but those born under this sign rightly view themselves as wise and cautious.

Rabbits are rarely known to make a move or jump into any new situation without first carefully considering all their options. No one is more surprised than Rabbits when they win a poker hand or hit the jackpot at the races, although at times good luck just seems to come their way unbidden.

Rabbits are regarded as the peacemakers in any group. They remain calm in any situation, and are very slow to anger.

In close personal relationships they can be very romantic, but their natural cautiousness prevents them from settling down or committing to any one person right away.

At work, they excel by remaining cool and collected, and can be relied upon for extreme tact in delicate business dealings.

The Chinese New Year Calendar - With Its Associated 12 Animals

The lunar Chinese New Year calendar below shows which of 12 animals you are! Naturally the animal depends on the year in which you were born. Note: if you were born in January or February you need to check if your birthday was before or after the date of that Chinese New Year (if it was before this day your animal is the one shown for the previous year).

60 Year Cycle of the Chinese New Year Calendar

Unlike western calendars, the Chinese calendar has names that are repeated every 60 years. Within the 'Stem-Branch' system is shorter 'Celestial' cycle of 12 years denoted by animals. Furthermore, the Chinese believe that people born in a particular year take on the characteristics of the animal associated with that year.

Another dimension of the Chinese zodiac is the 5 'Terrestrial' elements of metal, water, wood, fire and earth.

If the year ends in 0 it is Yang Metal. If the year ends in 1 it is Yin Metal.If the year ends in 2 it is Yang Water.If the year ends in 3 it is Yin Water.If the year ends in 4 it is Yang Wood.If the year ends in 5 it is Yin Wood.If the year ends in 6 it is Yang Fire.If the year ends in 7 it is Yin Fire.If the year ends in 8 it is Yang Earth.If the year ends in 9 it is Yin Earth.

125 artworks from Playboy magazine are being auctioned for a Dec. 8 auction at Christie's called "The Year of the Rabbit."

(AP): Nearly all the items in the sale have appeared in the publication, a cultural icon that helped liberate American sexual mores.

A Stephen Wayda 1996 cover photograph of Playmate of the Year Stacy Sanchez draped in white fabric in the shape of Playboy's bunny logo is initialed by Hugh Hefner and contains editorial comments like "move leg to this position" and "missing eye shadow."

"It's the tip of the iceberg," said Aaron Baker, curator of the Playboy Art Collection for the last eight years. Chicago-based Playboy houses an archive of 5,000 contemporary artworks and more than 20 million photographs in a storage building in the city.

The boards "really take you behind the scenes and show the editorial process," Baker said.

The sale has a number of Marilyn Monroe images, including a photograph that was used for the cover of Playboy's December 1953 premiere issue. The magazine purchased it from United Press, shot during a parade of M

onroe riding on the back of a car. Playboy swapped out the background of a crowd for its own logo.

It shows Monroe with her arm raised "almost as if she was waving to the readers, inviting them into the pages of the book of these incredible nude shots of her that they had never seen before," Baker said.

Playmate of the Year Stacy Sanchez poses in a fabric bunny in Stephen Wayda's 1996 cover photograph. Mounted, initialed by Hugh Hefner.

AP Photo/CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD., Stephen Wayda)

This image of Brigette Bardot appeared on the March 1958 cover of Playboy.

AP Photo/CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD

Coneheads! A 1993 Stephen Wayda photograph.

AP Photo/CHRISTIE'S IMAGES LTD., Stephen Wayda

This original watercolor by Alberto Vargas appeared in the November 1969 issue of Playboy.

AP Photo/Heritage Auction Galleries

The immortal founder of Playboy poses in his signature robe and mansion.

AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Patrick Nagel painted this pin-up, which appeared in the August 1980 issue of Playboy.

AP Photo /Heritage Auction Galleries

A Phil Interlandi cartoon from the January 1973 Playboy.

AP Photo/Heritage Auction Galleries)

This was the image that appeared on the FIRST Playboy magazine cover for the December 1953 issue.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

"Is social media a fad or is it the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution?" asks Erik Qualman, author of "Socialnomics." Consider his statistics and my analysis, then decide how connected you should be. Hint: Your company website is no longer enough.

As of 2010, Generation Y - those born in roughly the late 1970s and the late 1990s - outnumbers Baby Boomers. And 96 percent of them have joined a social network. Instant connection to friends and family, immediate information and the ability to find the kid who sat next to you in kindergarten.

As technology improves, it also changes the way we live. It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million users. It took TV 13 years, the Internet four years and iPod just three years.

Perhaps the star of the social-media show is Facebook, which added 100 million users in just nine months and now has over 500 million users. Not bad for a company that began in a dorm room. If Facebook were a country, it would have the third-largest population behind only China and India. The fastest growing segment of Facebook is women ages 55 to 65.

We no longer search for the news; the news finds us. More than 1.5 million pieces of content are shared on Facebook daily. In the near future, we will no longer search for products and services. They will find us via social media.

One out of eight couples married in the United States last year met via social media.

The youngest techies, born after 1995, consider e-mail passe. In 2008, Boston College decided to stop distributing e-mail addresses to incoming freshmen.

For those who prefer their communications in 140 characters or fewer, a Twitter account is a must. Approximately 80 percent of Twitter usage is from mobile devices; people update anywhere and anytime. The apps for Black Friday sales changed the way shoppers planned their retail strategy.

As a businessman, I often wonder how we functioned before LinkedIn. One of the most remarkable employment statistics I discovered while researching my last book, "Use Your Head To Get Your Foot in the Door," is that 80 percent of companies are using LinkedIn as their primary tool to find employees.

Remember the advertising slogan, "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas"? That's a little misleading, because it also stays on Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, My Space, YouTube or any other social media you use.

YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. It contains 100 million videos and receives 2 billion viewers each day. Wikipedia has over 13 million articles.

There are over 200 million blogs, and 54 percent of bloggers post content or tweet daily. Without knowing who or what organization is actually behind the blog, here are some facts:

Successful companies in social media have learned the importance of listening first and selling second.

Social media represent a fundamental shift in the way we communicate. To stay current and competitive in business, don't be a "twit." Put on your best "face" forward and "link" into these tremendous opportunities.

Mackay's Moral: If you want to have the world at your fingertips, brush up on your "social" skills.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Whether you're behind the wheel of an outrageous sports car this holiday season or, like most of us, find yourself sprinting to find the shortest check-out aisle, chances are good you'll come to appreciate the importance of having the quickest top speed. Like little kids drawn to a toy store's display window, car enthusiasts of all ages are always drawn to the sparkling sheet metal and snarling engines of the world's fastest cars.

For this first round of flat-out speed demons, we've drawn up a list of the six fastest cars sold in North America. The rules are few, which seems only right when discussing cars built to breach 200 mph. All have to be street-legal, sold in the U.S., and available from a mainstream manufacturer. This meant excluding some pretty amazing vehicles, like the Hennessey Venom GT and Callaway SC606, along with exciting upstarts like the German-built Gumpert Apollo supercar. We'll get to these, and more, in a future story.

Choosing a winner was easy, since nothing short of a jet fighter delivers the performance of the top-speed champion in this list. Yet, more amazing is the fact that almost all the cars listed could be driven on a daily basis ñ even if doing so would probably make you the most generous contributor to your local Police Athletic League.

2011 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport - 268 mph

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport

You can do a lot of things with $10,075. But if you want to own the $2.7 million Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport, currently the fastest car in the world, that's about the price you'll pay for every mile-per-hour the car is capable of. The Veyron's astounding price tag is matched only by its outrageous top speed, a fully-documented and verified 268 mph. The 1,200-hp French-built Bugatti set the new standard in supercar bragging rights last summer, at the sprawling Ehra-Lessien test facility owned by the firm's parent company, Volkswagen. The Veyron Super Sport features larger turbochargers and intercoolers fitted to the quad-turbo W-16 engine. Additional bracing, extra cooling ducts and special aerodynamics are fitted to the Super Sport, so that safety and stability are not sacrificed for top speed.

2011 Ferrari 599 GTO - 208 mph

Ferrari 599GTO

Any Ferrari is special, but not all can exceed 208 mph - and even fewer wear the brand's fabled GTO badge. The name was made famous by the original and stunningly beautiful 250 GTO, built from 1962-1964. When one comes up for auction, an original GTO is guaranteed to sell for millions of dollars. So consider the $450,000 you'll pay for the new 2011 Ferrari 599GTO a veritable bargain - at least compared to its classic predecessor. The new model's 661-hp 6-liter V-12 makes the 599 GTO the most powerful road-going Ferrari ever. Give it enough open road and the 599 GTO should exceed 208 mph, according to Ferrari. Being an Italian supercar, it looks quick even when standing still. Based on the 599 GTB, the GTO is 220 pounds lighter, thanks to the use of lightweight materials, including thinner glass than the standard car.

2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS - 205 mph

Porsche 911 GT2 RS

There is a reason Porsche has kept itself busy for nearly five decades refining the 911 sports car. Each new model is packed with more performance, and the latest pinnacle is this, the 911 GT2 RS. This is the most powerful road-going Porsche ever built. The 620-hp 3.6-liter twin-turbo flat-6 engine has variable turbine geometry (VTG) and sends all of its power to the rear wheels. Forget the four-wheel-drive safety net of the 911 Turbo, the GT2 RS is as close as you can get to a racing Porsche that can be also used for a dash to the local mall. According to Porsche's statistics, which are routinely on the conservative side, the GT2 RS can sprint from zero to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 205 mph. You better move fast, since only 135 copies of the GT2 RS, priced at $245,000, are headed to the U.S.

2011 Corvette ZR1 - 205 mph

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

The $110,750 Corvette ZR1 is the cheapest way to break into the 200-mph club. In the case of this snarling Chevy coupe, that would be an official top speed of 205 mph. Don't be fooled by an exterior that appears similar to the standard 430-hp Corvette. Under the ZR1's skin beats the heart of a 638-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8. The wild motor is visible to passersby, thanks to a clear hood scoop that announces exactly how potent this 'Vette truly is. The cabin is also a quantum leap forward from the plasticky Corvette interiors of a generation or two ago. It might lack some of the hand-craftsmanship of the other vehicles here, but the ZR1 has a sticker price that is less than half that of the competition; a fact that more than makes up for any lack of mahogany paneling or titanium switch knobs. The ZR1's trunk will even hold a week's worth of luggage.

2011 Bentley Continental Supersports - 204mph

Bentley Continental Supersports

The Bentley Continental Supersports is four-wheeled proof that refinement and luxury can go hand-in-hand with crushing performance. Despite weighing more than 5,000 pounds, and having a cabin that looks like it belongs in a Gulfstream business jet, the Continental Supersports can reach 204 mph. Credit the 621-hp turbocharged W-12 engine, which shares some of its mechanical lineage to the monster motor found in the Bugatti Veyron (both Bentley and Bugatti are owned by Volkswagen). The Bentley Continental Supersports is, you guessed it, the most powerful Bentley ever produced. Driven sedately, the Continental wafts along in unsurpassed quiet and comfort. Push the gas pedal, and the acceleration knocks you back and deep into the car's hand-stitched leather seats. Permanent four-wheel-drive helps keep all this power under control, as does agile steering and a suspension that can be tuned to favor either comfort or sporty driving.

2011 Lexus LFA - 202 mph

Lexus LFA

Lexus doesn't exactly spring to mind when thinking about incredible performance and jaw-dropping looks. We all know the Japanese brand can build high quality luxury vehicles of all shapes and sizes. But can Lexus actually take the fight to exotic cars? The Lexus LFA is the answer; and the result is a 202-mph supercar that looks like it jumped directly out of a video game. There is nothing subtle about the LFA, and not many soft edges to be found anywhere on the hyper-aggressive 2-door body. To keep weight down, the car is made out of three different types of lightweight carbon fiber. Not that the 560-bhp 4.8-liter V-10 engine mounted up front needs any extra help hurling the LFA down the road. Priced at $375,000, you could buy 11 Lexus IS sedans for the price of one LFA - and still have some cash left. Yet with only 500 scheduled to be built, the rarity and performance of the LFA ensure it legendary status amongst the sports car elite.

And for those who really don't like to wait...

The status that comes with owning one of the world's fastest cars isn't limited to only brand-new models. Just because you're lucky enough to afford one of the world's fastest exotic cars doesn't necessarily mean you'll manage to put one in your garage. Most of the cars on this list were sold out as soon as they were announced, usually in hushed tones, to well-heeled buyers. However, recently discontinued supercars, like the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and Lamborghini LP670 SV, might no longer be brand new, but still look phenomenal and easily exceed the 200-mph mark. The SLR McLaren can hit 207 mph, while the Lamborghini touches 209 mph.

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren & Ferrari Enzo

Opting for a gently-used Ferrari Enzo, which is capable of 218 mph, versus the 599 GTO also doesn't strike us as much of a sacrifice. Produced from 2002 to 2004, the Enzo was Ferrari's flagship supercar. The same holds true for the Porsche Carrera GT, a carbon-fiber masterpiece produced from 2004 to 2006. This super-Porsche could hit 205 mph. Yet for many purists, nothing can top the McLaren F1. With seating for three (the driver sits in the middle of the car) the McLaren F1 is capable of 231 mph - with the rev limiter in place, of course. For many, the F1 remains the supercar to beat even if the Bugatti has since captured the title for world's fastest car.